Description

We've witnessed the mountain bike evolve over its short life, going from one extreme to another. As the dust settles and the mountain bike matures, models like the Blur TR Carbon SPX XC 2X10 Complete Mountain Bike are beginning to fill a niche that's been left in favor of minimalist XC bikes or overbuilt, hero bikes. You don't need 160mm of travel in a heavily gusseted frame to get around a mountain.

The popularity of 29er hardtails is proof of the usefulness of the wheel size, but at the same time, they sacrifice technical ability and comfort in favor of lightweight efficiency. This can deter from the quality of the ride, just like lugging around excess suspension travel and weight. The Blur TR Carbon is a welcome step away from dedicated XC race bikes without adding so much heft and squish that it'll detract from trail feel or deplete energy reserves before the halfway point.

The TR is based on the established XC Blur platform, but instead of 100mm of travel, it gets 127mm. It also receives a slackened headtube (69.5 to 68 degrees) and lower standover height. These differences are especially important on difficult or steep sections of trails. Where the Blur XC runs out of travel through the rough stuff, the Blur TR will remain comfortable and in control. In comparison to the 140mm travel Blur LT, the TR frame is close to a pound lighter.

The secret to the Blur TR's weight-to-strength ratio is Santa Cruz's proprietary carbon processes. The front triangle of the Blur TR Carbon is constructed as once piece, rather than having components produced separately, and then bonded or wrapped. Additionally, the carbon fibers are continuous around tube junctions -- to distribute load and absorb impact energy better.

The frame looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside -- there's nothing there except smooth carbon. And just like the Blur XC Carbon, there are no riveted or bonded-on cable and hose guides, as they're incorporated into the original layup. The stiff carbon chassis is paired with the latest generation Virtual Pivot Point rear suspension.

The upper and lower links of the VPP suspension flatten out the shock rate and provide a more active feel to the early end of the axle path. The suspension allows the rear wheel to move up and back as you ride over a bump, and it balances the downward force of pedaling with the pulling force of the chain through its link configuration and axle path. The resulting movement makes it easier to roll over a bump or through a dip, and the suspension doesn’t change whether you’re in the saddle or not.

The Blur TR has a carbon fiber upper link that shaves weight and enhances lateral stiffness. Its counterpart on the bottom is alloy, and it has easily-serviceable grease ports. The pivots for both links have beefy 15mm locking collet axle-pins so they won't creak or loosen, and they run on intricately-sealed bearings that should last the life of the frame.

The VPP suspension of the Santa Cruz Blur TR Carbon yields 127mm of smooth travel damped by a Fox CTD rear shock with Kashima coating -- a lightweight, reliable shock that features an intuitive interface for simple, on-the-fly suspension tuning. It has three distinct settings; a firm 'Climbing' setting, medium 'Trail' setting, and a plush 'Descend' setting. This keeps operation straightforward and intuitive for beginners and experts alike.

To complement the rear shock, Santa Cruz paired it with a Fox 32 Float with 130mm of adjustable travel. Same story as the rear shock -- three settings optimized for climbing, trail, and descending. It's also travel adjustable to help keep the front end down on steep climbs and tight switchbacks. For steering precision, the fork is equipped with a 15QR, and it sports a tapered headtube. At the rear of the Blur TR Carbon is a 142 x 12mm thru-axle with a DT Swiss axle.